Anselm’s Prayer to St Paul: Our Greatest Mother

May 1, 2015

Anselm as Archbishop. Depiction in an English glass window of 19th century.

I am starting to get ready for mother’s day. Looking for prayers, working on reflections and spending time reminding myself of the wonderful mothering aspects of God. Yesterday I found this wonderful prayer to St Paul by St Anselm of Canterbury,a Benedictine monk, philosopher, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. Listen to him as he appeals to the motherly love of Christ to comfort and console him.

And you, Jesus, are you not also a mother?
Are you not the mother who, like a hen,
gathers her chickens under her wings?
Truly, Lord, you are a mother;
for both they who are in labour
and they who are brought forth
are accepted by you.
You have died more than they, that they may labour to bear.
It is by your death that they have been born,
for if you had not been in labour,
you could not have borne death;
and if you had not died, you would not have brought forth.
For, longing to bear sons into life,
you tasted of death,
and by dying you begot them.
You did this in your own self,
your servants, by your commands and help.
You as the author, they as the ministers.
So you, Lord God, are the great mother.